Highest calories you've bulked on

[SSmith]

What was your highest calorie intake during bulking?
Your stats?
Sample meal plan?
How many pounds gained during that bulk?

 

[5X5ForResults]

I will give you my two cents. I did not count the calories but I went from 130ish to over 150 in two 9 week training cycles doing a 5X5 routine. I had 3 to 4 meals a day and 2 milk shakes in between, eating everything in site. Topped all my meals off with cheese . I came to the point in my second routine were I would eat and 30 minutes later I would have to go to the bathroom. My body started telling me no more food. That was into the 8th week of my second routine. Wish I could tell you calorie intake but you will know you are getting enough when you are constantly full and bloated.

 

[oldfella]

I guess I'll play the devil's advocate here! Shouldn't this post be what is the lowest amount of cals you added lean mass to your frame was? Because the question asked is rhetorical at best. Too many calories and you will bulk alright, you will get fat! And I would want to know the makeup of those calories that added lean mass to my frame while dropping bodyfat levels at the same time. Bulking is easy..........real easy. Growing, getting/staying lean in the process..........now that is a question!

 

[5X5ForResults]

See thats the thing...Isn't it bulk then cut. Especially for Ecto types? I got some chub on me but I also gained allot of strength especially the chest and glut areas. My problem has always been bulking vise losing weight.

 

[MilitaryMuscle]

i used to put down 6,000 cals everyday and then have some high days thrown in where it would be 10,000 + cals..... i gained a lot of weight and strength. But once i stopped eating like that i just lost a lot of water weight and my bloo dpressure went way down. I got up to 260 pretty lean. But like i said it was a lot of water weight, because as soon as i dropped the carbs down i lost a lot of weight.

 

[betito]

Look at Eddie Abbew (the guy realy eats like no tomorrow)
http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/eddie_abbew_interview.htm

Brian Chamberlain had a friend of mine eating this during last year off season ( and the the guy competed at 200 lbs)


1.-100gr whey
150gr oatmeal
75gr vitargo
5 spoons og honey
20 gr of glutamine
5gr of creatine

2.- same as 1 plus 75 gr of cashews

3.-350 gr of beef
350gr of rice
big salad

4.-(3.5 hours before wo)300 gr of beef
350 gr of rice
big salad
pre wo(25 mins. before wo).-100gr of vitargo
25 gr of whey
post-wo.-same as 1

6.-400 gr of turkey breast
350 gr of rice
big salad

7.- big bowl of cereal or ice cream
50 gr of whey
75 gr of cashews

I think is more interestant to know the biggest clean calories people bulked on and the final result because is interestant how to eat extreme amounts of calories without becoming a fat pig, bulking with 200 ckal over maintenance and gainning 2 pounds in 5 months is not a big deal...

 

[pumpd]

What would be the purpose of eating a bowl of cereal or ice cream before bed, isn't that just asking for fat to accumulate...

 

[PlateStacker45]

I never count calories for bulking or cutting really. But I would guess I usually consume at least 10K or more a day while bulking. 80% clean. And yea, I gained a bit of fat, but I was stronger than ever and gained a ton of muscle in the meantime.

 

[gridlock]

What would be the purpose of eating a bowl of cereal or ice cream before bed, isn't that just asking for fat to accumulate...

fat is fat at whatever time you eat it. same as carbs, and protein etc.
the only problem found at eating before bedtime is that the blood isnt at the part it needs it to be most active at, i.e. the stomach. therefore it will hamper digestion and just cause you some stomach pains and not absorb nutrients as easy as if you were awake.

but from what i've always learnt, the whole eating before bed time making you fat is a myth.

 

[Ashop]

What was your highest calorie intake during bulking?
Your stats?
Sample meal plan?
How many pounds gained during that bulk?

Ive used 6500 calorie diets many times for adding mass.
many high carb,,high protein,,moderate fat 4-5 meals per day +
2-3 Synthepure based shakes.

 

[Big Bapper]

fat is fat at whatever time you eat it. same as carbs, and protein etc.
the only problem found at eating before bedtime is that the blood isnt at the part it needs it to be most active at, i.e. the stomach. therefore it will hamper digestion and just cause you some stomach pains and not absorb nutrients as easy as if you were awake.

but from what i've always learnt, the whole eating before bed time making you fat is a myth.

Its the high carbs that are the problem before bed not the fats and protein.

 

[Jablack0680]

Agreed Big Bapper. My final meal is 12 oz of chicken over 3 cups of salad with Balsamic Vinagerrette dressing (gotta get those olive oil fats) then about 3 hrs after that 2 scoops of Syntha-6. I go to bed at 10 so I trim the carbs out by 7pm.

 

[SSmith]

I guess I'll play the devil's advocate here! Shouldn't this post be what is the lowest amount of cals you added lean mass to your frame was? Because the question asked is rhetorical at best. Too many calories and you will bulk alright, you will get fat! And I would want to know the makeup of those calories that added lean mass to my frame while dropping bodyfat levels at the same time. Bulking is easy..........real easy. Growing, getting/staying lean in the process..........now that is a question!

It is possible to get really big and stay cut or even drop some body fat at the same time? From the old Doggcrap's posts i remember he was eating over 6-7 thousand calories a day, has he ever been really fat? Phil Heath takes in about 10 000 calories in othe offseason, Jay Cutler gets 4000 cals only form carbs,what about Eddie Abbew (as mentioned above),d.henry,d.james,s.allen and others...
now if pro's aren't good examples then- big guys on this board (they may correct me if i'm wrong)...mike1107 was eating 8000 calories and that got him to a pro level 290lb (I think?) physique...SZona on this diet http://www.professionalmuscle.com/forums/showpost.php?p=171056&postcount=1 got up to 272, don't know exactly but i think it is 5-6 thousand calories,easaly...Kenny Milne during all his prep for a show last year had days where he was eating close to 5000 calories, Justin Harris eats close to 7000 cals and never gets fat in the offseason...the same thing with gooey,Gavin Kane and others and I don't know none who ate only a little above maintenance and got huge...I think that it is more important nutrient timing and from what sources you get those calories, not the calories

 

[oldfella]

It is possible to get really big and stay cut or even drop some body fat at the same time? From the old Doggcrap's posts i remember he was eating over 6-7 thousand calories a day, has he ever been really fat? Phil Heath takes in about 10 000 calories in othe offseason, Jay Cutler gets 4000 cals only form carbs,what about Eddie Abbew (as mentioned above),d.henry,d.james,s.allen and others...
now if pro's aren't good examples then- big guys on this board (they may correct me if i'm wrong)...mike1107 was eating 8000 calories and that got him to a pro level 290lb (I think?) physique...SZona on this diet http://www.professionalmuscle.com/forums/showpost.php?p=171056&postcount=1 got up to 272, don't know exactly but i think it is 5-6 thousand calories,easaly...Kenny Milne during all his prep for a show last year had days where he was eating close to 5000 calories, Justin Harris eats close to 7000 cals and never gets fat in the offseason...the same thing with gooey,Gavin Kane and others and I don't know none who ate only a little above maintenance and got huge...I think that it is more important nutrient timing and from what sources you get those calories, not the calories

YEs that is why I said in my OP that it is the makeup or composition of those calories that makes the difference. There is no point in consuming massive amounts of the wrong kind of calories. as long as the exercise/training is one that is conducive to growth then yes you will grow. These guys mentioned above all got it right and I would say coupled with better genetics have had excellent results from High cal diets. The real proof is in whe you cut the fat and get down to lean mass, was all the calorie consumption worth the mass gained? for many of these outstanding physiques you mentioned......yes it was! Can we all get away with that........no we cannot!

 

[betito]

It´s also important to progresively add the calories as you need them. Don´t jump from 3000 cals to 7000 overnight, slowly add 200- 400 cals every week or every two weeks and see how your body reacts. The clue is not eating 7000 cals. the clue is "using" that cals. , so the body must get acustomed to the diet so it can diggest all that food and, of course, the cleanest the food the better. Cardio can also be a potent weapon if you use it right

 

[Titan1969]

No ones stating the obvious...

Many of these guys are geared, HEAVILY. No I dont know that for a fact, nor do I personally know these people listed as high calorie eaters. Eating high calories whether its fat, protein, or carbs will make you FAT. Positive calorie intake causes fat to be built...timing, sure eating your largest meal in the morning makes sense and then tapper down throughout the day.

Im not stating what we dont already know, the more muscle you have the cals you burn. So obviously Cutler and Coleman and others eat a lot. But I dont want "newbies" thinking they can eat 6000+ a day and get big and ripped like the Pro's. Yes I have done 8,000+ per day when I was younger and very skinny. Then I decide to start competing "Big eye opener". I had to loose 70lbs of fat! Never again. I stay tight all season at 270lbs and eat only 3200-3500 per day. I hate cardio...and this helps avoid that also.

 

[debo22]

everybodys body is different..... to say someone will get fat eating a bowl of cereal before bed or 6000 cal/day is a blanket statement. i can do both of these things and not get fat at all. now, if you have a slow metabolism, doing this could send you too the fat farm. i would say the amount of calories needed is individual and can only be found through experimenting.

another thing to consider is that taking large amounts of gh will allow you to eat ridiculous amounts of calories and still stay fairly lean. this is how the pros stay so lean in the off season while eating 6000-10000 calories.

alot of us on here have very differnt metabolisms and for us to understand eachother at times is hard. i personally have a very hard time gaining weight, while others have a impossible time losing weight. our worlds are very differnt and so should be our diet plans. i have went from 155 to 235-245 with the same waist size in a 5 year period and represent thoes with a very fast metabolism. i have helped many people at my gym similar to me make very significant gains over the last couple years. the first thing i tell them is "stop worrying that you will get fat because you wont". 5000 calories is a good starting point with 250 grm protein.

good luck

 

[patrick]

the funny thing is

since being trained by Phil. I eat less than i was used to, but i have better improvements. I maybe eat about 3000 calories a day, and 4 times LBA a day.
And i am 276lbs, offcourse i am not ripped. But my improvements are obvious and everybody else can see them.
I was used to eating 5000+ cals. I love this new way of eating. And i prefer the slow but steady gaining over the massive gaining and then having to diet down again......any day.

 

[SSmith]

YEs that is why I said in my OP that it is the makeup or composition of those calories that makes the difference. There is no point in consuming massive amounts of the wrong kind of calories. as long as the exercise/training is one that is conducive to growth then yes you will grow. These guys mentioned above all got it right and I would say coupled with better genetics have had excellent results from High cal diets. The real proof is in whe you cut the fat and get down to lean mass, was all the calorie consumption worth the mass gained? for many of these outstanding physiques you mentioned......yes it was! Can we all get away with that........no we cannot!

I agree with you, but still don't think that it is possible to gain lean body mass and grow at the fastest rate at the same time...
example...I've two buddies..one competes as a lightweights (maybe 4-5 years stright!!) and the other one is one of the top superheavyweights in my country now...
the first one eats maybe 2-3000 calories a day in the offseason stays pretty lean and adds about 1-2 lbs a years, and the another one takes in 5-8000 calories looks bloated in the offseason but in 3 years added 45 lb on this competition weight!! both of them are ripped then they step on stage, both of them are following almost the same (low-moderate carb,high protein) diet in the precontest, and from what they said to me-both take about the same amount of gear...so why one of them gain 10-15 pounds a year over a 1-2 pounds?

good read...
**broken link removed**

 

[halflife]

5000 calories is a good starting point with 250 grm protein.

I disagree, no matter what kind of body type (5000 might be right but NOT starting point). IFBB pro Porter Cottrell used to harp on this all the time and still does, he used to go in off season and grow on only 2000 calories. He preached it was the quality not the quantity. Kind of like what Phil preaches about LBA's. Do I think 2000 calories is a good starting point? No, I have a formula that most people fall within 2500-3200, on and I only have to manipulate the calories by no more than 300 to calibrate it for them for off season.

And only 250 grams of protein, wow that's a lot of carbs or fat just to be starting out...